1. Field of the Invention
This invention pertains to an improved beverage cooler having a cold plate and a plastic ice cube hopper, to a plastic ice cube hopper for securement to a cold plate, to an adaptor for securement of a plastic ice cube hopper to a cold plate, and to a method of manufacturing a plastic ice cube hopper for securement to a cold plate.
2. The Prior Art
Ice cooled beverage coolers having cold plates at the bottom of an ice hopper are old and used extensively in the retailing of dispensed soft drinks and beer in fast food establishments, bars, concession stands, and the like. Reasons for the popularity of this type of dispenser are firstly it is extremely reliable because it does not have an electromechanical refrigeration system, secondly it is relatively low cost compared to an electromechanical refrigeration system, thirdly you can get enormous cooling capacity by throwing on more ice, fourthly it does not add a heat load in the retail facility, fifth it does not require electricity, sixth it is easily portable, and so on. There are many good and valid reasons for the historic popularity of this type of dispenser.
There are many problems with past and present examples of this type of beverage cooler.
It sounds deceptively easily; why not make a plastic bucket and set the cold plate in the bottom of the bucket? It does not work because of entrapment under the plate, growth of mold and fungus, problems of getting beverage lines to and from the cold plate, and other serious sanitation problems.
The most successful construction practice has been and is to fabricate a metal outer shell, a metal inner shell and to seal the inner metal shell to the cold plate with silicone. Examples of this construction are commonplace in the fast food retailers.
There are still problems, including galvanic corrosion between dissimilar metals, rust and oxidation, leakage of seals, fungus and mold, crevices which are difficult to clean, cleanliness, odors, condensate in the insulation, failure of seals, excessive cost of construction due to the requirement for costly materials and skilled fabrication and assembly together with a requirement for high manhours and the resultant low production.
The sanitation codes posed by NSF also present a problem because only two materials can be used, specifically the cold plate material which historically is aluminum, and the hopper wall material which historically is a metal. Third materials for seals and fillets are not allowed because of de-lamination and leakage problems.
As of this date, no party has devised a successful plastic ice cube hopper for a cold plate, nor the manufacturing techniques to make such a structure.